In the era of COVID-19, governments, a number of major tech companies, and small developers are creating contact tracing applications and tools in an attempt to continue containing the outbreak and re-open safely.
The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group, the largest global industry association working against botnets, malware, spam, viruses, DoS attacks, and other online exploitation, will meet virtually October 12-15; Election security tops agenda
SAN FRANCISCO––October 6, 2020 –– The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG) will host its 50th General Meeting from October 12-15, 2020 in a virtual event that gathers representatives from over 200 member companies, including AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, Twitter, Google, and Microsoft, to discuss the latest developments in online privacy and security and develop collaborative approaches to combat online abuse.
M3AAWG’s 50th General Meeting will bring together leaders from internet service providers, telecom companies, email service providers, social networking companies, leading hardware and software vendors, and more to discuss collective best practices for fighting many of the most pressing cybersecurity challenges. Sessions explore topics such as the latest in 5G, stalkerware, artificial intelligence, robodiallers, abuse operations & GDPR, and much more.
“Over the past 16 years, M3AAWG has grown exponentially and continues to foster collaboration to combat new forms of abuse,” said Amy Cadagin, Executive Director of M3AAWG. “Although we may not be able to meet in-person, it’s still vital to continue our ongoing dialogue and work together to address the most prominent issues facing the industry today. As evolving online scams and cyberattacks related to COVID-19 continues to leave organizations and individuals vulnerable, M3AAWG’s work is more important than ever before.”
“Today, M3AAWG serves as the blueprint for collaboration amongst cybersecurity experts. No matter the protocol or attack vectors, engineers and analysts can always benefit from our existing work and our model of operation,” said Severin Walker, M3AAWG Chairman “From the first official meeting to now having over 265 member organizations across the globe, M3AAWG’s mission to build a safer online ecosystem through collaboration has played a critical role in shaping today’s online experiences. As we look towards the future, the protection of professional, social, and educational platforms that have become integral to life around the globe will be a central focus of our work.”
The keynote address will be delivered by Barbara Simons, Ph.D., Board of Advisors of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. A leading voice on technology policy for more than 40 years, Simons is also the board chair of Verified Voting, co-author of Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count?, and has co-authored numerous reports and studies on how to improve our voting systems. The keynote will explore the status of the upcoming election, voting security, post-election ballot audits, and more.
M3AAWG’s 50th General Meeting will take place via live video conference from October 12-15, 2020. For more information, please visit www.m3aawg.org or follow M3AAWG on Twitter @M3AAWG. You can also learn more about M3AAWG’s founding story and growth by visiting the M3AAWG blog at www.m3aawg.org/blog.
About the Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG)
The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG) is where the industry comes together to work against bots, malware, spam, viruses, denial-of-service attacks and other online exploitation. M3AAWG (www.m3aawg.org) members represent more than one billion mailboxes from some of the largest network operators worldwide. It leverages the depth and experience of its global membership to tackle abuse on existing networks and new emerging services through technology, collaboration, and public policy. It also works to educate global policy makers on the technical and operational issues related to online abuse and messaging. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., M3AAWG is driven by market needs and supported by major network operators and messaging providers.
As cybercrime spikes in the wake of COVID-19, BEC’s toll is expected to rise this year. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently issued a warning to businesses on the growing threat of BEC attacks using the pandemic as a backdrop for unusual requests like payments to a “new” vendor or a change of account information.
Text messaging isn’t new or trendy, but it’s an increasingly popular medium for political advertisers. That was true before the coronavirus swept the country, and now texting is even more important for candidates to connect with supporters without rallies, events or canvassing teams.
https://www.adexchanger.com/politics/adexchanger-politics-text-messaging-captures-the-spotlight-this-year/
Microsoft has been working closely with partners through the industry association M3AAWG to solve such limitations throughout the email ecosystem. As a result, we have decided to build and add support for DNSSEC and DANE for SMTP to Exchange Online.
Amy Cadagin Announced as M3AAWG’s New Executive Director
SAN FRANCISCO, February 20, 2020 — The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG), the largest global industry consortium developing collaborative approaches to combat online abuse, today announced that Jerry Upton will retire from his role as M3AAWG’s Executive Director after 15 years of service. He will be succeeded by Amy Cadagin.
Upton served as Executive Director since the organization's founding in 2004, playing a critical role in developing M3AAWG into the largest global industry association for fighting messaging abuse and other online exploitation. Under his leadership, M3AAWG cultivated an active membership of over 260 organizations spanning industries, government, academia and civil society groups — that systematically focus on issues of internet abuse across technology, industry collaboration and public policy.
Amy Cadagin will succeed Jerry Upton as M3AAWG’s new Executive Director. Cadagin, who joined M3AAWG in 2006 and held roles such as Director of Operations and Program Manager, will be responsible for leading member relations and furthering M3AAWG’s position as the leading consortium and trusted environment for fighting abuse.
“The members are what make this group so unique, and over the past 15 years we’ve strived to develop a culture of membership that promotes inclusivity, collaboration, knowledge sharing and resource creation because that’s what’s necessary to fight abuse and keep end users safe,” said Upton. “These days it’s rare to come by a community containing this breadth of talent that is committed to a unified mission. M3AAWG is truly an extraordinary organization and it has been an honor serving as its Executive Director.”
“We're deeply grateful to Jerry for his leadership and service and wish him all the best in his retirement,” said Cadagin. “We have an exciting road ahead of us at M3AAWG, and as online abuse and digital attacks continue to evolve, so too must the methods and technologies we use to combat emerging threats. I’m excited to challenge and inspire current and future members as they build a safer online environment for all.”
Upton’s retirement was announced by M3AAWG during its 48th General Meeting. The meeting brought together more than 260 member organizations from around the world in a four-day series of working sessions and educational panels.
About the Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG)
The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG) is where the industry comes together to work against bots, malware, spam, viruses, denial-of-service attacks and other online exploitation. M3AAWG (www.m3aawg.org) members represent more than one billion mailboxes from some of the largest network operators worldwide. It leverages the depth and experience of its global membership to tackle abuse on existing networks and new emerging services through technology, collaboration and public policy. It also works to educate global policy makers on the technical and operational issues related to online abuse and messaging. Headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., M3AAWG is driven by market needs and supported by major network operators and messaging providers.
Media Contact
Josh Tammaro
m3aawg@launchsquad.com
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The Messaging, Malware and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG), the largest global industry consortium developing collaborative approaches to combat online abuse, today announced that Jerry Upton will retire from his role as M3AAWG's Executive Director after 15 years of service. He will be succeeded by Amy Cadagin.